Open AccessPractical Considerations for Converting Operating Rooms and Post-anaesthesia Care Units into Intensive Care Units in the COVID-19 Pandemic – Experience from a Large Singapore Tertiary Hospital
Author(s) -
Zihui Tan,
Priscilla Hui Yi Phoon,
Claudia Jong Chie Tien,
Johari Katijo,
Shin Yi Ng,
Meng Huat Goh
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
annals, academy of medicine, singapore/annals of the academy of medicine, singapore
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.299
H-Index - 60
ISSN - 0304-4602
DOI - 10.47102/annals-acadmedsg.2020220
Subject(s) - medicine , intensive care unit , pandemic , intensive care , pacu , surge capacity , covid-19 , medical emergency , economic shortage , intensive care medicine , emergency medicine , anesthesia , government (linguistics) , linguistics , philosophy , disease , pathology , infectious disease (medical specialty)
COVID-19 has spread globally, infecting and killing millions of people worldwide. Theuse of operating rooms (ORs) and the post-anaesthesia care unit (PACU) for intensive careis part of surge response planning. We aim to describe and discuss some of the practicalconsiderations involved in a large tertiary hospital in Singapore. Firstly, considerationsfor setting up a level III intensive care unit (ICU) include that of space, staff, supplies andstandards. Secondly, oxygen supply of the entire hospital is a major determinant of thenumber of ventilators it can support, including those on non-invasive forms of oxygentherapy. Thirdly, air flows due to positive pressure systems within the OR complex needto be addressed. In addition, due to the worldwide shortage of ICU ventilators, the USFood and Drug Administration has granted temporary approval for the use of anaesthesiagas machines for patients requiring mechanical ventilation. Lastly, planning of logisticsand staff deployment needs to be carefully considered during a crisis. Although ORand PACU are not designed for long-term care of critically ill patients, they may beadapted for ICU use with careful planning in the current pandemic.Keywords: Critical care, hospital management, surge response